Covid–19: Resources and Information

London Museum Development will keep this document up to date with useful links and information on dealing with the impact of the Covid–19 outbreak on your organisation. If you have any questions, or would like to share your organisations experiences during this time, please contact us directly: museumdevelopment@museumoflondon.org.uk.

General information

Business Continuity Guidance

Security

Collection care General Information

DCMS release coronavirus bulletin for museums:

DCMS Museums and Galleries Sector Coronavirus bulletin 18 March 2020: https://mcusercontent.com/fdfb8683fe90cd04d8d480e2c/files/884be74b-a3fe-40d4-a3dc-d59d60d49ab4/Coronavirus_bulletin_20200318.pdf

ACE guidance for NPOs

Arts Council England (ACE) have released guidance for NPOs and their other funded programmes regarding the current Covid-19 outbreak: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news-and-announcements/coronavirus-information

AIM guidance

AIM has published a detailed page listing lots of useful information and resources on their website: https://www.aim-museums.co.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/

Museums Association overview

The Museums Association has created an overview article, looking at how Covid-19 will impact museums and what can be done to mitigate it: https://www.museumsassociation.org/news/10032020-coronavirus-impact-museums-galleries

Charity Finance Group updates

The Charity Finance Group has a live web-page where they’re releasing updates and information on how best to deal with the financial impact of the Covid-19 outbreak: https://cfg.org.uk/coronavirus_guide

NCVO guidance

The NCVO has a helpful guide to dealing with Covid-19 within your organisation: https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/information/coronavirus Business Continuity Guidance

DCMS guidance on dealing with emergencies or disasters

For those museums that are facing a period of closure during the current Covid_19 situation there is some guidance on the DCMS website for museums and galleries to help them to cope with emergencies or disasters which may be helpful: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-continuity-planning-for-museums-and-galleries

DCMS guidance on Expecting the Unexpected

There is also general guidance for organisations Expecting the Unexpected, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/expecting-the-unexpected

American Alliance of Museums: using scenarios to plan Covid-19 response

The following article from the American Alliance of Museums is also useful and may help with your planning: Using Scenarios to plan your Museum’s Covid_19 (Coronavirus) response https://www.aam-us.org/2020/03/13/using-scenarios-to-plan-your-museums-covid-19-coronavirus-response/

Security

Collections Trust security audit resource

If you are preparing to close your building for a protracted period you may wish to check your security provision prior to closure - you can carry out your own security audit using the Security Toolkit on the Collections Trust website at https://collectionstrust.org.uk/resource/the-security-audit/. Check the terms of your insurance regarding leaving the building unoccupied for periods of time and possible requirement for security staff / visits. Collection Care

Advice from the Museum of London’s Collection Care team

If your museum or gallery will be closed without any access check:

Can you safely, leave the heating / building management system as is, if it can maintain stable conditions? If you do turn off any building management or heating systems check for risks, such as possible leaks as pipes cool down, do you need to call in someone under a service agreement to do this, can you re-start systems without problems etc

Are items locked in cases or stores where possible? Walk round and check that collections are as secure and protected from physical and environmental threats as can be.

How best can you protect any items on loan from other institutions? Try and ensure that you check these early on once you re-open and refer back to any condition reports you have. Report any concerns or changes to the lender. Think about your items out on loan in the same light.

Do you have remote access to building management systems or environmental monitoring systems to keep an eye on things? If a company manages your building management system check whether they have remote access to environmental readings that can be sent to you. If not, check what has happened as soon as possible after you re-open.

Ensure you have access to your emergency plan. If possible, check salvage supplies, prepare areas that commonly suffer leaks and work closely with any security team remaining so you are advised of possible problems. Check your call-out list to reflect who could possibly come in and who cannot due to the current situation and adjust your plan accordingly. The Museum of London Pocket Salvage Guide will be helpful in the case of an emergency.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/application/files/9414/5615/4887/pocket-salvage-guide.pdf